Price, Cabrera lead Tigers to 12-1 rout of Indians

Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera watches his ball after hitting a two-run home run off Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber in the first inning. ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND — David Price bounced back from an alarming start and Miguel Cabrera homered twice, hitting one of Detroit’s three homers off Cleveland’s Corey Kluber, as the Tigers rolled to a 12-1 win on Monday to slow the Indians’ climb in the standings.

Price (13-10) gave up one run and eight hits in seven innings. The left-hander was coming off a troubling loss to New York in which he allowed nine consecutive hits in one inning and eight runs over two. Price called it “probably the worst game I’ve ever had in my life.”

But he was more like himself against the sleepy Indians, who had won six of seven to get within 3½ games of first in the AL Central.

Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Kluber (13-9) and Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez connected for consecutive shots in the third. Cabrera homered again in the eighth off rookie Bryan Price. He went 4 for 5 with three runs and three RBIs.

Tigers rookie Tyler Collins hit his first major league homer, a three-run shot in the ninth.

The Indians didn’t arrive home until 3:15 a.m. after their Sunday night game in Kansas City was suspended in the 10th inning because of storms.

Price improved to 2-2 since joining the Tigers, who acquired him from Tampa Bay on July 31 and plugged him into their stable of strong starters.

Cabrera gave the Tigers a 2-0 with his 18th homer — and first since Aug. 2. Ian Kinsler led off with a soft liner down the right-field line that outfielder Mike Aviles missed with a poorly timed dive, playing what should have been a single into a triple.

One out later, Cabrera drilled his homer over the left-field wall to give Price some early padding.

Cabrera has worn out Kluber during his career, batting .567 with four homers and nine RBIs against the right-hander.

The Indians responded with a run in their first at-bat as Michael Brantley singled with two outs and scored on Carlos Santana’s double.

Kluber induced inning-ending double plays to end the first and second, but wasn’t so fortunate in the third when Aviles couldn’t help him again.

Cabrera hit a sinking liner with two outs that Aviles didn’t see initially and had go off his glove. Victor Martinez followed by a hitting on 0-2 pitch over the wall in right-center for his 28th homer. J.D. Martinez then hit his 18th, giving the Tigers a 5-1 lead.

Kluber was pulled one batter later, going just 2 2-3 innings, his shortest outing this season. He’s lost three straight starts after going 6-0 over eight starts.

Aviles was removed in the fourth after becoming light-headed and dizzy.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: RHP Anibal Sanchez, who hasn’t pitched since Aug. 8 because of a strained chest muscle, has made progress but isn’t ready to come back. He had a setback while throwing on Aug. 26 and the Tigers are being extra cautious.

Indians: DH Jason Giambi was activated from the 60-day disabled list after being sidelined since June 12 with knee soreness. The 43-year-old, who gave up his No. 25 so Jim Thome could retire in it earlier this year, is wearing No. 72, the first number he wore breaking in with Oakland in 1993.

UP NEXT

Injuries forced the Tigers to use nine starters in August and Tuesday left-hander Kyle Lobstein will make his second career start against Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco, who has yet to lose in four starts since rejoining Cleveland’s rotation.